_____________
joint resolution NO. _____________
By Request of the ****
A joint resolution of
the Senate and the House of Representatives of the state of montana eSTABLISHING
THE FIRST WEEK IN APRIL AS MONTANA SOIL HEALTH WEEK and the first wednesday in
april as soil health day.
WHEREAS, recognizing soil as an essential natural
resource, and Montana's agricultural producers and professionals as playing a
critical role in managing Montana's soil and water resources; and
WHEREAS, Montana
is home to more than 27,000 agricultural producers who are reporting less farm-related
income; and
WHEREAS, the Natural Resources Conservation
Service of the United States Department of Agriculture defines soil health as
the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that
sustains plants, animals, and humans; and
WHEREAS, the concept of soil health across the
Montana landscape is not new, but is only recently recognized as needed to
prevent soil degradation and the degradation of soil can be rapid, while the
formation and regeneration processes can be very slow; and
WHEREAS, as of 2007, an average of 6.4 tons of
topsoil per acre were lost every year due to erosion in Montana, compromising
the productivity of agriculture in the state; and
WHEREAS, agriculture is Montana's top industry,
generating more than $3.7 billion in services and products to the state's
economy; and
WHEREAS, Montana's
fish, wildlife, and diverse ecosystem generate almost $4 billion a year to
Montana's economy and provide one-ninth of the total jobs that are
dependent on soil health; and
WHEREAS, healthy
soil increases nutrient availability and helps capture, retain, and store more
water, increasing the economic viability of farms and ranches, the availability
of water for municipalities and recreational uses, and in-stream flows for
power generation; and
WHEREAS, as soil
organic carbon increases, so does its water holding capacity, increasing
agriculture's resilience to drought and water shortages; and
WHEREAS, farming
and ranching are vital to economic development for Montana's tribes and rural
communities; and
WHEREAS, healthy soils provide productive
grazing; bountiful crops; clean air; water free from sediment, nutrients, and
other pollutants; and diverse wildlife and landscapes through five basic
functions:
(1) help to control where rainfall,
snowmelt, and irrigation water goes as water and dissolved solutions flow over
or into and through soil;
(2) sustain
a diverse, productive plant and animal life;
(3) filter
and buffer potential pollutants;
(4) cycle
and recycle nutrients of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and other nutrients that
are stored and transformed in the soil; and
(5) provide
physical stability by supporting soil structure, human structures, and
archeological artifacts; and
WHEREAS, there are six basic principles of soil
health that contribute to the long-term prosperity and resilience of our state's,
counties', and cities' soil and water resources:
(1) minimize
soil disturbance and external inputs, including reduced tillage;
(2) maximize
plant and microbial diversity;
(3) maintain
the presence of living roots;
(4) keep
the soil covered, including with cover crops and crop residue, to armor the
soil;
(5) integrate
animals into land management, including grazing animals, birds, beneficial
insects, or keystone species, such as earthworms; and
(6) incorporate
the context of local conditions in decisionmaking, including, for example, soil
type, topography, and time of year; and
WHEREAS, Montana has designated the Scobey as its
official state soil; and
WHEREAS,
the State of Montana should be actively raising awareness of the importance of
soil health and promoting its stewardship to safeguard this resource for future
generations; and
WHEREAS, awareness facilitates the necessary
changes in agricultural practices to sustain our Montana soils for the
centuries to come and celebratory activities will bring greater awareness and
appreciation of the merits of healthy soils and the producers that cultivate
them in Montana.
Now, therefore, be it
resolved by the Senate and the House of Representatives OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
That the first week of April be
designated as Montana Soil Health Week.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Wednesday of the first
week of April be designated as Soil Health Day and that
the people of Montana, the Montana Department of Agriculture, the Montana
Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, and the Montana Association
of Conservation Districts are encouraged to observe the day.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Secretary of State send
copies of this resolution to the director of
the Department of Agriculture, the Office of the Governor, the director of the
Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, the director of the Montana
Association of Conservation Districts, and Montana's Congressional Delegation.
INTRODUCED
BY _________________________________________________